The horizontal line represents the person’s life.1712 - born1740 - died

Frederic Ii.

surnamed the Great, the third king of
Prussia, son of Frederic William I. was born Jan. 24, 1712,
and educated in some measure in adversity; for when he
began to grow up, and discovered talents for poetry,
music, and the fine arts in general, his father, fearing lest
this taste should seduce him from studies more necessary
to him as a king, opposed his inclinations, and treated
him with considerable harshness. In 1730, when the
prince was eighteen, this disagreement broke out; he
endeavoured to escape, was discovered, and thrown into
prison, and Kat, a young officer who was to have attended
his flight, was executed before his eyes. His marriage in
1733, with the princess of Brunswick Wolfenbuttel, restored at least apparent harmony in the family. But in
his forced retirement, young Frederic had eagerly cultivated his favourite sciences, which continued to divert his
cares in the most stormy and anxious periods of his life.
He ascended the throne in May 1740, and almost immediately displayed his ambitious and military dispositions,
by demanding Silesia from Maria Theresa, heiress of the
emperor Charles VI. in his Austrian and Hungarian dominions, and pursuing his claim by force of arms. The
emperor died October 20, 1740, and Lower Silesia had
submitted to Frederic in November 1741. France stepped forward to support his pretensions; but in June 1742,
he had signed a treaty at Breslaw, with the queen of Hungary, which left him in possession of Silesia and the county
of Glatz. In the spring of 1744, either suspecting that
the treaty of Breslaw would be broken, or moved again
by ambition, betook arms under pretence of supporting
the election of the emperor CharlesVII. and declared war
against Maria Theresa, who refused to acknowledge that
| prince. The war was continued with various success, but
on the whole very gloriously for Frederic, till the latter
end of 1745. It was concluded by a treaty signed at
Dresden on Christmas day, by which the court of Vienna
left him in possession of Upper and Lower Silesia (excepting some districts, and the whole county of Glatz) on condition that he should acknowledge FrancisI. of Lorraine
as emperor.

In 1755, the contegt between England and France, concerning their American possessions, led those powers to
eekallies. England made alliance with Prussia, and
France with Austria. The boldness and decision of Frederick’s character were now remarkably displayed. Suspecting a design against him among the continental powers, and having even gained intelligence of a secret treaty,
in which the king of Poland, elector of Saxony, was concerned, he published a strong manifesto, and marched at
once with a powerful army into Saxony. But the states
of the empire, not satisfied with the reasons he alleged,
declared war against him, as a disturber of the public
peace. In 1757, he found himself obliged to contend at
once with Russia, the German empire, the house of
Austria, Saxony, Sweden, and France. The numerous
armies of his enemies overran his whole dominions; yet his
activity and courage were ready in every quarter to give
them battle. He was defeated by the Russians, had
gained a battle against the Austrians, and had lost another
in Bohemia, by the 18th of June, 1757. But on the 5th
of November the same year, he met the Austrians and the
French at Rosbach, on the frontiers of Saxony, and repaired his former losses by a signal victory. His genius
had invented a new species of military exercise, and his
enemies probably owed their defeat to their imperfect attempts to imitate what his soldiers had completely learned.
Within a month he had gained another victory over the
Austrians near Breslaw, in consequence of which he took
that city, with 15,000 prisoners, and recovered all Silesia.
Throughout the war, with an ability almost incredible, he
gained so many advantages, and recovered with ‘such
promptitude the losses he sustained, that the prodigious
force combined against him was rendered ineffectual. Peace
was at length concluded, Feb. 15, 1763, when the possession of Silesia was confirmed to him, and he, on his
part, promised his suffrage to the election of Joseph, son
| of the emperor, as king of the Romans. This was the
most splendid military period of his life.

The year 1772 was remarkable for giving a proof of the
insecurity of a small country situated between powerful
neighbours, in the seizure of considerable territories belonging to Poland, of which the king of Prussia had his
stare with Austria and Russia. The remainder of his
reign, with very little exception, was devoted to the arts of
peace; and his attention was diligently employed to give
his subjects every advantage, consistent with a despotic
government, of just laws, improving commerce, and the
cultivation of the arts. Whatever were his errors in opinion
or practice, which were both of the worst kind, or his
offences against other powers, he sought and obtained the
attachment of his subjects, by exemplary beneficence, and
many truly royal virtues, mixed, however, with acts of
extraordinary caprice and cruelty. He died August 17,
1786, in the seventy-fifth year of his age.

Frederic, like Cesar, united the talents of a writer with
those of a warrior. He wrote in French, and was a tolerable poet; but his abilities are more displayed in history.
His poem on the art of war is, however, valuable, both
from his deep knowledge of the subject, ^and the traits of
genius it displays. His works compose altogether nineteen volumes, 8vo. His poetical compositions, which, excepting his poem on the Art of War, consist chiefly of
odes and epistles, passed through many editions under the
title of “Oeuvres melees du Philosophe de Sans Souci.”
But all the works published in his life, both in prose and
verse, were collected in four vols. 8vo, in 1790, under the
title of “Oeuvres primitives de Frederic II. Roi de Prusse,
ou collection desouvragesqu’il publia pendant son regne.”
Of this publication, the first volume contains his “AntiMachiuvel; military instructions for the general of his
army; and his correspondence with M. de la Motte Fouquei.” TJie second, his “Memoirs of the House of Branden burgh.” In the third volume are his poems; and in
the fourth, a variety of pieces in prose, philosophical,
moral, historical, critical, and literary; particularly “Reflections on the military talents and character of CharlesXII. king of Sweden; a discourse on war; letters on education, and on the love of our country; and a discourse on
German literature.” His posthumous works hud been published stiil earlier. They appeare4 at Berlin in 1788, in
| 15 vols. 8vo. The two first of these contain the “History
of his own Time, to the year 1745.” The third and fourth,
his “History of the Seven Years’ War.” The fifth contains “Memoirs from the Peace of Hubertsbourg in 1763,
to the Partition of Poland in 1775.” The sixth is filled
with miscellaneous matter, particularly “Considerations
on the present state of the political powers of Europe,”
and “an Essay on Forms of Government, and on the
duties of Sovereigns.” The seventh and eighth volumes
contain poetical pieces, and some letters to Jordan and
Voltaire. The remaining seven volumes continue his correspondence, including letters to and from Fontenelle,
Rollin, Voltaire, D‘Argens, D’Alembert, Condorcet, and
others. Of these productions many are valuable, more
especially his “History of his own Times,” where, however, he is more impartial in his accounts of his campaigns,
than in assigning the motives for his wars, or estimating
the merits of his antagonists.

His “Memoirs of the House of Brandenburg” are distinguished by his correctness in facts, the liveliness of his
portraits, the justness of his reflections, and the vigour of
his style. The “Frederician Code” displays him in the
light of an able legislator, copying the Roman law, but
adapting it with skill to the nature and circumstances of
his own dominions. In his lighter productions he was an
imitator of Voltaire,* whose friendship he long cultivated,
and whose irreligious opinions unhappily he too completely
imbibed. The activity of his mind was easily discerned in
the vivacity of his eyes and countenance: and he was one
of those extraordinary men who by an adroit and regular
partition of their time, accompanied with strong spirits and
perseverance, can pursue a variety of occupations which
common mortals must contemplate with astonishment.
Had he not been a king, he would in any situation have
been a very distinguished man: being a king, he displayed those talents which usually require the retirement
of private life for their cultivation, in a degree of excellence which his situation and mode of life rendered not
less extraordinary than those qualities which he possessed
in the highest perfection.

As all particulars respecting a man so eminent are objects of attention, we shall subjoin the account of his habitual mode of life, as it is given by the best authorities.
His dress was plain in the extreme, and always military;
| a few minutes early in the morning served him to arrange
it, and it was never altered in the <lay boots always made
a part of it. Every moment, from five o‘clock in the morning to ten at night, had its regular allotment. His first
employment when he arose, was tr> peruse all the papers
that were addressed to him from all parts of his dominions,
the lowest of his subjects being allowed to write to him,
and certain of an answer. Every proposal was to be made,
and every favour to be asked in writing; and a single word
written with a pencil in the margin, informed his secretaries what answer to return. This expeditions method,
excluding all verbal discussion, saved abundance of time,
and enabled the king so well to weigh his favours, that he
was seldom deceived by his ministers, and seldom assented
or denied improperly. About eleven o’clock the king appeared in his garden, and reviewed his regiment of guards,
which was done at the same hour by all the colonels in his
provinces. At twelve precisely, he dined; and usually
invited eight or nine officers. At table he discarded all
etiquette, in hopes of making conversation free and equal;
but, though his own bons-mots and liveliness offered all the
encouragement in his power, this is an advantage that an
absolute monarch cannot easily obtain. Two hours after
dinner Frederic retired to his study, where he amused himself in composing verse or prose, or in the cultivation of
some branch of literature. At seven commenced a private
concert, in which he played upon the flute with the skill
of a professor; and frequently had pieces rehearsed which
he had composed himself. The concert was followed by a
supper, to which few were admitted except literary men
and philosophers; and the topics of conversation were
suited to such a party. As he sacrificed many of his own
gratifications to the duties of royalty, he exacted a severe
account from officers, and all who held any places under
htm. But in many things he was indulgent, and particularly held all calumny in so much contempt, that he suffered some of the most scurrilous writers to vent their
malice with impunity. “It is my business,” said he, “to
do the duties of my station, and to let malevolence say
what it will.” 1

1 Towers’s Life of Frederic, Thiebault’s Anecdotes of Frederic the Great.
—Dict. Hist.

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